It’s no longer the stereotypical junkie who uses heroin — it has become the drug of choice by too many of our friends and neighbors. The drug is cheap and accessible. Today’s version of heroin is so pure it can be snorted, which makes it appealing to those who are afraid of needles.

With increased use comes increased incidents of overdose and death. The situation is dire in Winnebago County, where 51 of the 124 overdose deaths last year were attributed to heroin or a combination of heroin and cocaine. Seven years ago, there were 37 total overdose deaths. The situation has reached near epidemic proportions elsewhere in the country.

Law enforcement and emergency medical services personnel around the country are beginning to carry an antidote for a heroin overdose — Narcan, the brand name for the opiate antidote naloxone. Soon, the life-saving medicine will be in the hands of Winnebago County deputies.

Almost anyone can be trained to use the antidote in 15 minutes or less. Narcan can be injected into muscle or sprayed up the nose and literally can bring a person back from the brink of death. It can reverse a heroin overdose in one to three minutes, precious time when a person’s life is at stake.

Kudos to Winnebago County Sheriff Dick Meyers for initiating the Narcan program. After learning about how bad the situation here was, Meyers did some research, talked to officials in DuPage County, where deputies carry and administer Narcan, and worked with local health care officials to implement a program.

Meyers said other regional law enforcement agencies are participating. Rockford’s firefighters and paramedics already carry the drug.

Having Narcan on hand will save lives and give users a second chance.

Newspaper saved: It looked like the end for The Voyager, Guilford High School’s student newspaper. Only 10 students had signed up for the school’s newspaper class — not enough to justify keeping it in the curriculum.

However, current students, alumni and Dan Bingley, a Guilford English teacher who runs the newspaper class, kept fighting for the class.

They’ve succeeded.

Guilford will have a newspaper class next year and that class will continue to produce a print edition of The Voyager.

Bingley will teach two separate classes during the same period.

“Obviously this is not an optimal solution, but there was simply too much at stake to just not have the newspaper at all,” Bingley told Register Star reporter Ben Stanley.

Letters of support for The Voyager came from many alumni and those letters had similar themes. What the students were taught while working on The Voyager went beyond a newspaper class. Lifelong work habits such as adhering to deadlines and paying attention to details were formed. Plus, you can’t underestimate the value of the friendships created while working under the pressure of putting out a newspaper.

Chat update: J. Thomas Johnson, one of the authors of “Fixing Illinois,” will be our guest at noon Wednesday. Co-author James D. Nowlan is unable to come to Rockford, but may join the conversation remotely. On June 18, Dan Riggs, executive director of Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Gardens will join us.